The New Nation - Internet Edition

A team of senior officials of Grameenphone (GP) Ltd. visited Smiling Sun Clinic (SSN) at College Bazaar, Potiya, Chittagong on 18 December and inaugurated an emergency obstetric care center thereat, a joint project titled 'Safe Motherhood and Infant Care, of Grameenphone and Pathfinder International, says a press release.

On behalf of GP, Kafil H.S. Muyeed, Director, New Business Division, Emad ul Ameen, Director, HR, Syed Yamin Bakht, Head of Information, Shuvashish Barua, Head of CSR, and Md. Aulad Hossain, Head of Chittagong Region, were present. Officials from Pathfinder International FDSR and SUS were also present during the inauguration program.

Grameenphone launched the project in partnership with Pathfinder International in May with an aim to provide with free comprehensive primary healthcare services to the economically disadvantaged pregnant mothers and infants of the country through the 'SSN' across Bangladesh.

Grameenphone helped establishment of an emergency obstetric care center at the Family Development Services and Research (FDSR) clinic, a local NGO, and one of the 317 static clinics under the SSN receiving support from Grameenphone, which has also sponsored the additional recruitment of two general physicians and 12 consultant physicians in the clinic.

Furthermore, an ambulance was handed to Samannita Unnayan Sangstha (SUS), another local NGO, for its Sitakunda SSN. This ambulance will be used for home delivery services and transportation of emergency patients.

Two of the eight millennium development goals for Bangladesh are related to improving maternal health and reducing infant mortality rates and Grameenphone is working with relevant development agencies to support the government in achieving these objectives. Under the safe motherhood and infant care project, GP is investing in improving service quality and extending access to healthcare by recruiting additional community-based health-workers upgradation of some of the existing static clinics into emergency obstetric care centers as well as providing motorized vans (i.e. ambulances) and c1inic-on-wheels.

From August to October 2007, around 2,91,3476 poor mothers and infants have received free healthcare services under this project. The project aims to reach around 800,000 mothers and infants annually.